Achieving better health outcomes remains a major policy priority for Pacific island developing economies. In addition to hampering social development, poor health outcomes also undermine economic development through, among other channels, output loss due to illness and death, and forgone income for family members taking care of patients. In the context of Pacific island developing economies, healthy workers are especially needed to boost the currently low level of labour productivity. Several Pacific economies had not fully achieved the Millennium Development Goals on health issues, especially those relating to maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals on health issues, which is arguably a more complex endeavour, would be even more challenging for these economies.